Loss-preventing means for billfolds and the like



G. B. SHIVELY Dec. 28, 1954 LOSS-PREVENTING MEANS FIOR BILLFOLDS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 18, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l aafyazzfeg I ATTOR N EY Dec. 28, 1954 G. B. SHIVELY LOSS-PREVENTING MEANS FOR BILLF'OLDS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 18. 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 til.:

ATTOR N EY Unite @George B.` 'Shively, `fwaynesboro, Pa.

Applicationlanuary 21-8, y.19-1l9,v Serial No. :711,529

4 Claims. '.('Cl.'"2'4-.3)

My invention relatesf to La billfold and it: is an fobjectrof @the same to *provide means for preventing-'loss of 1the billiiold, `includingvarious improvements on the-devices lshown in=rny Patents Nos. 1,695,350 and 2,126,826.

Anotherlobject -is to .provide an improved .clamp for securing the billfold detachably in place.

Anotherobjectlisf-to provide operating `rneans for the clamp including Valeyer :and meansfor:-. insuring against breakage of the adjacent supporting parts in the operation of the lever.

Anotherobject is top-rovidevan improved shape: for the .leverhandla y.wltierebyto.-makedit 'easier to-actuate for releasing thec1arnp,..and-also..adaptedto concealtlcertain 1parts llocated underneath .the .handle fwhen in 'clampclosingfposition.

Another object. is` Vto provide .meansherein referred to `as aclip, for maintaining.theclampin' operative. position .on thebillfold .while .permittingitt move bodilyrup and down so that .the Ybillfoldmay .be-at rIthe bottorniof a pocket whether the pocket be deep .for s'hallow,andv yet the clamp can' be secured to the top ofthe'pocket.

Another object is to provide means for holding `'the clip safety in Vplace against accidental .change of y position, whereby it might become detachedfromthe billfold.

-St'ill another object is to provide :improved means vwhereby the clip maybe actuated `for, puttingit into,.posi

tion to prevent 'change'in 'its'positiom folded and located in a pocket, with the clamp closed down upon the cioth at the top of the pocket,

Fig. 2, a section on line 2-2 of Fig. l,

Fig. 3, a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4, a detail of the billfold as seen from the inner side of the billfold,

Fig. 5, a similar detail on a larger scale,

Fig. 6, a front elevation of the clamp in closed position, and with the clip extended,

Fig. 7, a side elevation of the same,

Fig. 8, an enlarged section on line 8-8 of Fig. 6, showing the clamp as engaged with the folded cloth of a pocket top or the like,

Fig. 9, a similar view, with the clamp in released position,

Fig. 10, a section on line 10-10 of Fig. 9,

Fig. ll, a section on line 11-11 of Fig. 6,

Fig. 12, a detail of the upper end of the body member of the clamp,

ig. 13, a detail of the resilient gripping element of the clamp, and

Fig. 14, a perspective of the lever handle for operatlng the clamp.

In the drawings, reference characters 15 and 16 indicate respectively outer and inner portions of the upper end of a garment pocket, to which a billfold is adapted to be clamped by the device of my invention. The construction of the billfold may vary in numerous particulars, but there is shown here a billfold comprising inner and outer walls 17 and 18, and an intermediate layer 19 of .rates Patent leather or the like, folded at its upper end to receive the S0 shank or body 20 of the clamp that fastens the device 2,697,861 qPatented Dec. 28, 1954 lice zitofa fgarmentzpocket or the like. lTherfparts `;-17:.and18 irmaysbe sewed'togetheraat `the top, andy the marginsvofvthe :sheetsll9iare.-y sewed to. layer. 17, .as indicated by 'the broken ulines'fat 21. Another inner .layer of `leather orthe like nmaycbeprovided at 23 .as shown in Fig. "3.forproviding nat pocketu inthe billfold,.'and this pocket. may. be clQsable .tbymea'ns of a .Talon fastener whose operating member. is :indicated at.24.

:Thesheet 19 .has itsk upperfolded-over.margin fastened ytto.therbodypof the sheetnbyJ means of rivets L thats-pass `through fthe bodyof the lsheet rand: the folded-undersap :and securev them together permanently, Vbut in such fashion :asmotlto'be visible -atvthe outside of thetbillfold, :and a :slitisfonrnedzzat 26 `for-entry of` clamp body 20.

At ,the lower end lofthe clamp member 20:theresis a retainer in the rform of a thin rstriplike bar thatcan be Amoved into .alinement with: the bodyv Ztl orintopthe lrettaining position illustrated in'Figures kl :and/.6, :it being pivoted to the member Zt? at 28 as by means Vof-a rivet j.passing.through .both parts. The bar.27. is longer kthan @fthe :length :ofltheslot .26 crosswise of the billfold,qsothat thezfclamp cannot .be withdrawn when the retainer:v is lin ,thesposition shown in Fig. l, and the rivets 25,.25,.a1e spaced. laterally .toan extentnless. than the length:of:.bar 27, so that the bar will tbe` arrested before it-reaches-fthe s1it26. For .holding it in the full line position ofFig. 6 there are provided two small projections on the retainer at 29 (Fig. lfl) forcoacting with depressions at 30 in the member 20. The retainer may be provided with holes :31oriother;means.by.which it can be moved about vrits .-pivotf28- ySince the clamp is movable up-and vdown ,.withrespect'to other. parts the memberx20 is preferably .,beveledatz32 to lessen..the wear on :the adjacent, leather.

Inapreferred form` of ,the .invention thebody .120,1is formed of stihL resilient .metaland is bentat its -upper end `:into-az-hoolr shape, .as illustrated. Within .the,h0oked upper end there is placed a highly resilient U-shaped spring 33 which is thin as compared .with the body 20 and vis preferably of the same width as :the body. Both may 'be made of `beryllium ,as a preferred material,

'though Ido not limit myself. to any particular material.

'The spring 33 is attached Vto the hooked upper' endportion of body 20 by means of a plurality of eyelet rivets 34, preferably two in number and spaced lengthwise of the body so as to insure against turning of the spring out of the position where its side edges register with those of the body 20. Small projections 3S on the inner face of one leg of spring 33 serve to engage the cloth at the pocket top to increase the grip of the spring thereon, and inward projections at 36 on the other leg engage the opposite face of the cloth for the same purpose, the projections of one set being preferably each directly opposite a projection of the other set.

For actuating the gripping spring I provide a bent lever 37 which has pivots 38 journaled in struck-up bearings 39 on the bent-over hook portion of body 20. One arm of the lever extendsbetween the legs of spring 33, and its extreme end engages the outer leg of the spring for forcing the same against the cloth and compressing the cloth between the two legs when in the working position shown in Figs. 2 and 8, the released position being shown in Fig. 9.

A hood 40 is formed on the body 20, said hood being preferably struck up from said body and being so positioned as to engage with the outer end of said arm when the clamp is open, the main purpose of said hood being to limit the movement of the lever so as to prevent the lever from being pressed too far in the clamp opening direction, which frequently results in breaking off the nose 41 of the hook in such fashion that the pivots 38 are freed from their bearings 39 and the lever cornes off the device. Shoulders at 42 coact with the hood in limiting the extent of the releasing movement of the lever under pressure of spring 33. The long finger-operated arm of the lever has a transverse ridge 43 that covers and conceals the hood 40 when the parts are in clamping position. This long arm is extended over the upper end of body 20 for better protection against accidental release of the clamp but is spaced slightly from said body at 44 (Fig. 8) near the rear of said upper part, or at a point remote from the hook.

Near the lower end of the strip 19 there is a perforation 45 with slits or cuts through the strip and running in opposite directions from the perforation.

In assembling the billfold the parts of the clamp are assembled in obvious or preferred manner and the crossbar 27 is rotated about its pivot into the broken linevposition of Fig. 6. The lower end of the clamp is now inserted into the slit 26 at the fold in strip 19 until it reaches approximately the bottom of the pocket formed by said strip. The billfold is now opened and a suitable small rod or a pointed instrument is inserted through the hole at 45 and engaged with the retainer or with one of the holes 31, 31 after which the retainer is rotated into the solid line position of Fig. 6, in which it is safely held due to the engagement between parts 29 and 30, though it may again be turned into the broken line position if it becomes necessary to remove the clamp from the billfold. Since the slit at 26 is only equal in width to the body of member 20 it will be obvious that the clamp cannot be withdrawn without destroying the billfold, and, of course, it

cannot Well be lost or withdrawn without giving notice to the wearer of a garment to which the billfold is clamped.

It Will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many changes may be made in the devices herein disclosed, all Without departing from the spirit of the invention; and therefore I do not limit myself to what is shown in the drawings and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A loss-preventing means for billfolds and the like comprising a striplike body of metal bent into a hook at one end, a U-shaped leaf spring having legs iitting in said hook, the end of one leg of the spring being secured to said body at the rear inner face of the hook, a bent lever pivoted on the free end of the hook, said lever having an `arm engaging the free leg of the spring for exing the spring to cause it to grip an article between the legs, and a hood limiting the movement of the free end of said arm.

2. A clamp for use as a loss-preventing means for billfolds and the like, comprising an elongated body adapted to be attached at one end to a billfold, a hook at the other end, a leaf spring inside the hook, and means for exing 4 the spring to cause it to grip an article entered into the hook comprising a bent lever pivoted on the hook and having an arm engaging vthe spring, the hook having a recess for receiving one end of the lever when the clamp is open and having a hood to conceal the recess.

3. A clamp for preventing loss of billfolds and the like comprising a striplike body adapted to be attached at one end to a billfold, a hook at the other end, a leaf spring inside the hook, and means for flexing the spring including a bent lever pivoted on the hook and having an arm engaging the spring, a hook having a slot in which said arm lies when the clamp is open, a hood on the hook for limiting the movement of said arm, and another arm on the lever substantially concealing the hook.

4. A clamp for preventing loss of billfolds and the like comprising a striplike body adapted to be attached to a billfold at one end, a hook at the other end, a leaf spring inside the hook, and means for flexing the spring including a bent lever pivoted on the hook and having an arm engaging the spring, the hook having a slot in which said arm lies when the clamp is open, a hood on the hook for limiting the movement of said arm, and another arm on the lever substantially concealing the hood.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 138,581 Potter May 6, 1873 138,608 Brookman May 6, 1873 139,991 Allen lune 17, 1873 484,246 Sampson Oct. 11, 1892 576,530 Albrecht Feb. 9, 1897 707,559 Duif Aug. 26, 1902 727,883 Bigney May 12, 1903 729,295 Dwork May 26, 1903 838,870 Laube Dec. 18, 1906 855,029 Walsh May 28, 1907 1,051,893 Joseph Feb. 4, 1913 1,268,342 Gonick lune 4, 1918 1,365,169 Goldberg Jan. 11, 1921 1,551,790 Bertrand Sept. 1, 1925 1,695,350 Shively Dec. 18, 1928 2,126,826 Shively Aug. 16, 1938 2,215,139 Uhlmann Sept. 17, 1940 

